


From This Day On (Now and Forever More)

by AeonTheDimensionalGirl



Series: I’ve Got You (You’re Safe Now) [19]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Angry Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Angry Leon (Merlin), Angry Merlin (Merlin), Angst with a Happy Ending, Arthur Pendragon Returns (Merlin), BAMF Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), BAMF Freya (Merlin), BAMF Leon (Merlin), BAMF Merlin (Merlin), Big Brother Leon (Merlin), Depressed Merlin (Merlin), Deviates From Canon, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Established Relationship, Evil Sidhe (Merlin), Fluffy Ending, Heartbroken Merlin (Merlin), Immortality, Losing the will to live, M/M, Married Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), POV Leon (Merlin), POV Outsider, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Post-Canon, Post-Episode: s05e13 The Diamond of the Day, Protective Leon (Merlin), Resurrection, Scared Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Soul Bond, Whumptober 2020, Worried Leon (Merlin)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:35:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27095146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AeonTheDimensionalGirl/pseuds/AeonTheDimensionalGirl
Summary: All Knights of Camelot have vowed to their King that they would look after the Prince Consort until their dying breath. As the centuries pass, Leon fears he might be failing the promise, for he sees Merlin’s will slowly decay.
Relationships: Leon & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Leon & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur, Merlin/Arthur Pendragon, Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: I’ve Got You (You’re Safe Now) [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1939345
Comments: 22
Kudos: 462





	From This Day On (Now and Forever More)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NamelesslyNightlock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelesslyNightlock/gifts).



> **PROMPT No 19. BROKEN HEARTS**  
>  **Grief** | **Mourning Loved One** | Survivor’s Guilt
> 
>  **Lou** and I had a conversation ages ago based on that tumblr post about Leon and Merlin meeting each other again for the first time centuries later- and well- I saw the prompt.
> 
> And I took my chance❤️
> 
> ~~also i'm so sorry for the spelling mistakes you'll find here~~

Leon felt Arthur die.

To this day he doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to describe how he sensed his brother-in-arms succumb to his mortal wound; nor how he felt Merlin’s grief soon after.

What Leon does know, is that everyone in Albion heard the agonizing cry of a lover losing his beloved to death, from the merchants that traveled the rift to the hermit living under a rock.

He can still recollect Gwen, his beautiful and graceful Gwen, flinching in what was now _her_ throne while everyone else winced and let silent tears fall as they too mourned their King and friend.

He can still recall all of them waiting a sennight with bated breath for the now-widowed Prince Consort to return home, ready to smother him with confronting presences and to support him through the grief. 

He can still remember the sennight starting to become a fortnight when a near desperate Queen Guinevere ordered a search for the Court Sorcerer, Leon at the front with Percival and feeling themselves brimming with worry as they approached the place Merlin had been trying to get Arthur to; and gaping with shock as they found a numb and sobbing warlock on the shore of the Lake of Avalon with Aithusa next to him as comforting presence; while the Lady Morgana’s body lay not far away, rotting.

Leon will admit that he does _not_ remember what happened next. He’s sure he and Percival gently coaxed Merlin away from the shore, the poor man not putting out a fight, looking lost and defeated before arriving to Camelot.

And- he can’t recall if he said anything to the new widow. Leon thinks he might have cried, he’s fairly certain he held Merlin as he sobbed and heaved as he tried to tell them what happened, but he can’t recollect if he said anything to the raven in consolation.

If Leon’s honest with himself… perhaps he forgot on purpose, the memory of Arthur’s passing too painful; choosing instead to focus on the new future Camelot faced, throwing himself into his responsibilities as the Queen’s Consort.

Merlin… became part of the background.

Leon would only see him in council meetings, the raven quiet and withdrawn; the beaming, mischievous young man he once was having died with his husband.

They withdrawned themselves so apart, that when Leon discovered that he’d yet to show grey hairs shortly after Gwen’s death, Merlin has left Camelot.

* * *

Leon searches for Merlin with near panic.

He’s the only one who could have answers-

The Druids tell him that this new found immortality might be a side effect from the Cup of Life saving his life all those years ago, but Leon calls bullshit.

Hadn’t Arthur too drank waters from that same cup once? And he was pretty much dead.

When he reaches a hundred years- Leon gives up his search.

Merlin must have died long ago.

* * *

When Kind Thomas suffers a heart attack and his daughter is forced to become regent, Leon makes the decision to leave.

He saw his friends and wife die.

He’ll be damned if he sees his son die as well.

His child sees him go, smile bittersweet just like his mother.

Armed with a pack that holds his most prized possessions, Leon ventures into the unknown.

* * *

For six hundred and eighty years, Leon wonders around the land that named itself Europe around his four thousand year. He travels in curiosity, taking the opportunity to learn new languages and sword fighting techniques; he even takes positions as a teacher sometimes.

The former Knight even takes the opportunity to travel to more distant lands, following the silk road many merchants in Albion (it may be called Brittan now, but for him it will always be Albion) often brought treasures from. Leon will admit he had fun there.

But eventually he leaves, for someone makes a comment in regards of his youthful appearance, and frankly getting accused for and subsequently beheaded for sorcery is not an experience Leon would like to repeat.

The healing process for that had been… extremely unpleasant.

And then Leon hears about the crusades.

* * *

What the fuck was wrong with the Christians?!

Honestly, declaring another peoples beliefs as unholy brought so many fucking memories of Uther that for a moment Leon considers turning around and walking back into Persia and further down the road.

But- _but_ , Leon doesn’t.

Mostly because the moment he walks back into Albion- he feels it.

Magic.

A _familiar_ magic, one he’d been surrounded by in simpler times, with a golden King and a silver Prince laughing as they hanged each other’s arms, eyes full of love-

Leon is not aware that he’s been running until he accidentally kills himself from exhaustion.

* * *

It’s pure luck that he ends up in Nottingham.

… Said luck being that his body was about to be set aflame in the dead pit of the village, but Leon manages to jump off the death cart in time, nearly scaring off the man driving the cart.

“Why do people keep dropping dead people who are clearly not dead?!” the man angrily mutters before he drives away, leaving behind a slightly guilty Leon.

But, it must be destiny really, because he senses Merlin’s magic in here.

It feels like a quiet call home.

Leon begins asking around, throwing around the names the Prince Consort liked to disguise himself as.

No one has heard of an old man called Dragoon.

Nor a Knight by the name of Wylt.

Or a woman named Myrddin.

“Are you sure?” Leon asks with near desperation, “No… I don’t know- Ambrosius?”

A shaken head.

“Emrys? Pendragon?”

Now the woman he’d been talking to gasps.

“Oh yes! The physician!” she smiles excitedly at him, and Leon feels like he could cry of relief, “Balin Pendragon! He’s right by the end of the street”

The Knight thanks her profoundly, going as far as to bow and kiss her hands before sprinting towards the direction she’d instructed.

A little hut is the first thing that he encounters, and Leon can’t help but laugh, because it’s so Merlin-

And then he hears a crash from inside the house, followed by yelling.

Heart on his throat, Leon cautiously approaches the hut, hand instantly going to his sword pummel-

“-we know you have more coin” a gruff voice was saying through the open door.

“I already gave you all the coin I have” a familiar cold voice answered.

If Leon had any lingering doubts-

The Knight silently opened the door-

And found two men looming (or, well trying) over Merlin.

“Don’t lie to us” one of them said, “We know you’re associated with Robin Hood”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about”

“Listen here, _Balin-_ ” the other man said as he grabbed Merlin by the front of his tunic, “We know how you work; you attend everyone freely and don’t receive coin-”

“Or perhaps I just happen to have a lot of coin and an excellent knowledge of taxes, which clearly Prince John and you, Sheriff, don’t know anything about”

“If you won’t pay the amount-” the man now known as Sheriff grunted, “We can take those pretty jewels around your neck-” he hissed as he took out a necklace Merlin had been hiding under his tunic, revealing-

Leon inhaled sharply.

His engagement and wedding rings.

Before he knew it, the Knight had the tip of his sword pressed upon the man’s neck, steadily ignoring the gasp of shock from the raven in order to stare at the startled man.

“I wouldn’t if I were you” Leon said coolly, “Those rings were given to him by someone precious”

“Leon?”

“Hello, little falcon” he sent him a small smile, hiding his shock at the silent tears that were falling of Merlin’s eyes.

“Leave this man alone” Leon said to the other men.

They glared at him, but seemingly decided it was not a good idea to start a fight with a man who had his weapon at the ready. Giving Merlin one last sneer, the parted.

Leon didn’t tuck his sword again until they were way out of sight, and turned to stare at Merlin.

The raven looked… the same as he did when he was Prince Consort, if not a little skinny now.

He still wore a shock expression, and tears kept silently falling from his eyes, which seemed to be saying _‘How?’, ‘Why?’, ‘I thought I was the only one’-_

“Why did you do that?” Merlin finally whispered, still in shock.

Leon squinted harder at him.

The warlock looked jagged and tired, and his blue eyes looking hunted-

Oh.

“Do you know” Leon began to say, “That on your wedding day, Arthur made all the Knights of Camelot swear to look after you?”

Merlin turned to look at him, red and teary eyes curious.

“I- I shouldn’t find that surprising” he admitted with a watery laugh, wiping his tears away, “So, you too?”

“Yes”

“How?”

“Cup of Life. My guess is consequence of drinking directly from it. You?”

Merlin mumbled something too low for him to hear.

“What?”

“… I’m magic itself” Merlin revealed with a sigh, “Emrys… it means immortal” he sniffled, “I didn’t know I was- I suspected after Arthur- when Gwen died, I knew it. I thought-” he swallowed, “I thought I was going to be forever lonely”

_Oh._

“Likewise” Leon said, gulping, “I- If you have me- I can stay with you… we- er… you know-”

Merlin chuckles.

“It would be nice to have a friend in all of this immortality fuckery” the raven said.

That’s all the permission Leon needs. He jumps at Merlin, engulfing him into a tight hug, and cries a bit when the warlock returns it.

Silently, the lion swears to look over the little bird better this time.

“What even is happening in this town?” Leon asks when they break apart.

“Er- well- you see” Merlin nervously laughs, “That’s a bit of a long story…”

By the end of the raven’s explanation, the Knight has his face hidden between his hands.

Leon does not find it surprising to find out Merlin has joined a group of men that steal from nobility.

“Must I remind you who were you married to?” Leon asks with exasperation.

“Must _I_ remind _you_?” Merlin retorted with a raised eyebrow.

That shuts Leon up.

And he ends up joining Robin of Loxley’s band of merry men.

Turns out stealing from nobility and distributing it to the poor was fun.

(Leon swears he hears Gwaine whoop in joy at his corruption)

* * *

True to their new promise, they stay together for a while, filling each other up with that they’ve been doing all those years after leaving Camelot.

Leon learns that Merlin traveled all Albion, never leaving the rift, and that he returned to the place after it was destroyed in the subsequent wars that plagues the land, and built a small manor with the remains at the Camelot castle in front of the Lake of Avalon.

He also learns that Arthur is set to return one day, when Albion’s need is greatest.

“But- that could be anytime!” he exclaims.

Merlin nodded sadly.

“I know” he looked out the window, eyes lost, “I thought- I thought he’d return with these holy wars, you know? To help magic” he bit his lip, eyes misting, “But he hasn’t” he chocked.

“Little falcon” he whispered as Merlin began sobbing.

“I miss him so much” the raven cried while the Knight quietly embraced him, “I want him back now- I miss him so much it _hurts_ -”

Leon wishes he could see into the future to assure him it was close.

* * *

They both brave disasters together.

The black plague is a particularly vicious moment in their lives that they don’t wish to ever speak about.

They both join noble courts in order to get caught up with politics, Leon on Europe and Merlin in Albion.

That’s also the beginning of a new agreement, to separate for a while before coming back and hang around to catch up.

They do this in Merlin’s manor, where Leon also discovers that bears some resemblance to Camelot on this inside, the furniture even being the same. Merlin sheepishly admits that his magic went a little high-wire with the decorating.

The Knight also discovers that his friend rescued from the ruins items that belonged to their fallen friends, Arthur’s crown carefully placed with his ceremonial cape and Gwaine’s favorite tankard of mead and Percival’s little glass sculpture and Elyan’s personal forged vambraces and Lancelot’s fake family sigil- Leon cries harder when he sees the bracelet he gifted Gwen for their first anniversary resting in a neat box alongside her favorite lilac peasant dress.

He and Merlin get drunk that night and reminisce about their former lives.

* * *

Merlin tried to leave Albion once.

The Americas looked like an interesting place to explore, and for the first time in centuries Leon could see some excitement in the raven’s eyes as he gushed about the natives from the new lands.

“-They been there for centuries as well! Perhaps we could learn how they’ve been living, I bet they have fascinating herbs and food and traditions-”

“Alright little falcon, calm down” Leon laughed, delighted to see Merlin’s enthusiasm overshadow the sadness that lingers on him almost constantly, “It’s nearly our turn to get on the boats-”

But the moment Merlin steps into the vessel, he falls sick.

Not sea sick.

Just-

Sick.

Sick enough to be kicked out of the boat in fear he carries a deathly illness.

And-

And he gets better when his feet touch land.

They’re both horrified when the realization hits them.

“I’m stuck” Merlin whispered with numbness, looking lost, “I’m stuck-”

In Albion.

Merlin literally cannot leave Albion.

“Merlin-”

“Don’t-!” the raven cried with grief, “Just- don’t, Leon!”

“I’ll stay with you-”

“No”

Leon staggered, taken aback.

“No?”

“No- you- don’t let me hold you back” Merlin whispered, “Go”

And Leon tries to convince him, to change his mind, perhaps they can try again?

But Merlin just sags in defeat and declares once again that he’s stuck, looking miserable.

“Don’t let me hold you back” the raven repeats in the murmur, “Go, Leon. I’ll be fine”

You will not, Leon wants to say, but takes one last look Merlin and knows that it will be futile to fight.

“I’ll write to you, alright? I share all my knowledge” he promised to the despondent raven.

Merlin simply nodded.

Leon got on the boat.

He didn’t take his eyes off the former Prince Consort until he disappeared in the horizon.

* * *

Leon hates America.

He’d thought he would enjoy learning from the people, eager to gain knowledge to bring to Merlin back in Albion and-

He’s horrified at what he sees.

Slaves.

Women and men constantly raped.

The native people expelled from their homes, being marked as the invaders and savages by the real invaders and savages.

He tries fighting for their rights, tries making people see reason that they’re hurting the people-

Leon is hanged for insubordination.

He manages to sneak into a merchant boat back to Albion.

* * *

“Magic’s dying”

Leon startles from reading the newest Sherlock Holmes story, staring at the raven.

“Well, your sense of humor is coming back today, eh?” he says in a joking tone, but Merlin does not laugh.

Instead, he looks blankly over to the Lake of Avalon.

“Magic’s dying” he whispers again, voice devoid of emotion.

Leon bit his lip in worry.

With the coming of the Industrial Revolution, Merlin has gotten…

Leon doesn’t want to say worse, but…

Merlin’s getting worse.

“How do you know?” Leon asks, putting away the copy of The Strand Magazine to focus on the raven.

“I feel it” Merlin murmured with his now common lost voice, “It’s fading- it’s been fading since the crusades- people just don’t believe in it- and humanity is destroying sacred places”

“But you’re still here” Leon said, “And you’re magic itself, which means it can’t truly be gone, right?”

“But for how long?”

Leon doesn’t know what to answer.

* * *

World War 2 is the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

When they hear about the nazi camps- and the nuclear bombs that were fired on innocent people-

Merlin marches into the Lake of Avalon and screams himself hoarse, begging and crying Arthur to come back now.

“What’s wrong with Mr. Emrys, Mr. De Galis?” Rosetta, one of the children they’ve taken in to protect from the blitz, asks in concern.

“I-” Leon flounders with fear as he watches the raven break down, “I’m afraid that Mr. Emrys might have lost hope”

* * *

As the twentieth first century comes around, Leon begins to get desperate.

Merlin’s just- he’s an empty shell.

Leon tries everything. He brings him books about a boy wizard that practically overflow with the raven’s name as a muttered curse-

Nothing.

He brings him books about a ridiculous romance between a young teenager and a dramatically edgy vampire, hoping he’ll laugh at the ridiculousness-

Not an interest.

He takes him to the movies to see a film about a man who realizes he’s been unknowingly hurting people and takes things into his own hands by building an amour- Leon will admit that the film’s protagonist reminded him of Arthur at the end, but still-

Nada.

By the time the year 2012 comes around, Merlin has seemingly lost the will to live.

* * *

Two months into the year, Leon rolls up his metaphorical sleeves, feeling himself brimming with anger as he marches onto the Lake of Avalon.

“OI!” he yells at the waters, “ARTHUR- MATE- LISTEN- PLEASE DO COME OUT NOW, BECAUSE MERLIN IS DYING!”

The lake surface bubbles a bit.

“YOU HEAR ME?! THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE IS DYING!” Leon screams, not caring if the closest neighbors hear him, “AND YOU SIDHE- LET HIM GO- AS CREATURES OF MAGIC, DON’T YOU CARE?!”

He’s tired of seeing Merlin miserable.

He’s terrified of seeing Merlin giving up on life.

The lake bubbles again.

Squinting, Leon focuses his sight onto the waters, swearing he sees something lucking under the surface-

And gasps.

Arthur.

Arthur fucking Pendragon was under the water, seemingly swimming towards the surface before being pulled by an unseen force.

Oh gods-

“MERLIN!” he screams, eyes still on Arthur desperately trying to swim towards the surface, “MERLIN GET YOUR ASS HERE! IT’S ARTHUR!”

For a moment Leon swear he hears Merlin say something, but just when he’s about to ask- he gasps again.

A woman is desperately trying to push Arthur into the surface as well, holding a familiar sword as she buries it on the lake’s surface and forces the King’s hands onto the blade-

“The Lady of the Lake” Leon whispers, witnessing the woman stare at him in shock.

The Lady of the Lake seemed to whisper something to the struggling Arthur, who seemingly nodded as he tried to keep holding on to Excalibur before disappearing from the blond’s side-

And the woman appeared next to Leon on the shore, gasping and flaying her arms as if she were drowning.

“Oh gods” the man said before snapping out of the shock and taking her hands, pulling her onto the sand bank.

“Thank you” she heaved.

“Er- you’re welcome, my lady”

The Lady of the Lake waved her hand in dismissal.

“No n-need or time for t-titles” she said, “Call me Freya”

“Hello, and I don’t mean to sound rude by asking this, giving that it’s a little obvious to what’s going on” Leon began to say, eyes on the struggling underwater Arthur, “But could you please explain what the fuck is happening in Avalon?”

“We’re trying to help Arthur Pendragon escape” Freya said, “But the Sidhe have been insistent on keeping the Once and Future King trapped in the spirit wor-AH!”

She yelped as a glowing light tried to yank her onto back onto the lake, and Leon held on to her tightly, pushing further onto the shore.

“He was meant- meant to co-come back centuries a-ago” the Lady of the Lake panted, glaring at the glowing lights in the loch, “When you and Merlin became all that was left of Albion- when we all faded to legend and myth-”

“When magic begun to die out” Leon whispered in realization. Freya nodded.

“The Sidhe have been hoarding it all- they believe that magic should not belong to mortals, but mortals are what keep magic alive and around” she wheezed, “Merlin- Merlin is magic itself- if he were to lose himself to grief and give up living- the Sidhe would’ve tried to take it all away from him”

“And he’s already done so” Leon said with growing horror, staring to look at the lights with disgust-

“No, I haven’t”

Leon and Freya gasped, and the former Knight would have cried in joy.

Merlin- who’d been hollow and nearly dead ten minutes ago- stood behind them, looking over to the lake with a blank expression-

That’s betrayed by his eyes, which shine with golden fury.

“Freya, it’s nice to see you again” the warlock said in a deceptively calm voice.

“Likewise”

“What’s this about my husband being trapped in magic water jail?” Merlin questioned as he walked passed them, the dark water lapping at his feet.

“Arthur was meant to rise ages ago but the Sidhe prevented him because they want you to keep wallowing in grief and misery so when you weakened well enough they could take your magic and hoarded with the rest of it” Leon summarized.

The air smelled like lightning.

“Aware that they could be destroying the world at it?”

“Especially of that” Freya answered grimly.

Merlin hummed.

“I see”

And a near dozen lightings struck the surface of the lake.

Leon and Freya jumped in fright, and the former Knight had to suppress the shiver that went down his spine as he felt Merlin’s rage simmer on the air.

Worried, he turned to look at the loch, fearful that Merlin might have stricken Arthur in the attack, but to Leon’s shock, the King looked alright, if not slightly shaken.

And he didn’t seem to be struggling so much.

“Maiden’s mercy” Freya whispered as Leon began to hope-

 _“Emrys…”_ a voice hissed from the center of the lake.

“Am I speaking with the leader of the Sidhe?” Merlin asked.

He got another hiss in reply.

“Let him go” Merlin commanded coolly.

_“No”_

“I don’t think you understood” the warlock said darkly as his eyes begun to glow gold, “This was _not_ a request”

And nodding to the sky, golden lighting came to strike the waters.

The glowing lights of the Sidhe gathered together, trying to avoid getting hit by the furious magic, hissing all the way.

Leon kept an eye on Arthur all the way, concerned for his safety (knowing full well that right now he was dead- or- mostly dead? He’d been underwater for a long time)

But the King just kept holding on to Excalibur on the lake floor, looking occasionally to Freya, but always turning back onto Merlin.

 _“Stop!”_ the Sidhe hissed after the third round of magical lightning.

“Let Arthur go”

_“The Once and Future King is ours, Emrys!”_

Merlin simply raised an eyebrow, raising his hand slightly.

The Sidhe seemed to slither in the water-

And a full blast came out of the lake, shooting towards Merlin.

Leon was about to scream, when the raven easily deflected the attack.

“Really?” Merlin asked almost bored, “Attacking while I’ve put the guard down? Magic might be nearly gone thanks to you lot- yes, I fucking figured it out- but that doesn’t mean I’m powerless”

And with that said, the warlock shot his own power again, not stopping.

“Freya! They’re distracted enough!” he yelled.

“Indeed they are” the Lady of the Lake hissed, raising her hand-

And the water where Arthur was parted away, the King dropping to the ground as he let go of Excalibur and began coughing and gasping.

He’s come back to life, Leon thought in shock.

“Sir Leon!” Merlin roared in between the blasts, snapping the Knight out of it, “Help your King!”

And Leon sprinted, taking Arthur- holding- touching his best friend for the first time in fifteen centuries-

“This is not how I envisioned seeing you again” Leon said as he dragged him towards the shore, “Nor the first thing I would say to you”

“Li-likewise” Arthur answers in between gasps, smiling faintly at the former Knight as they finally reached the sand, “You- you look well, ol-old friend”

“You too” Leon replied, grinning at the blond-

And then they hear Merlin screaming out.

They turned to look at him, alarmed, Leon reluctantly having to hold Arthur down when he tried to make a run to the warlock when they see him throwing what clearly is powerful magic at the rising wave of Sidhe-

Who explode when the wave of energy reaches them.

Just-

Big old and loud pop.

For a moment all is silent, Leon, Freya and Arthur starting at the waters of the lake in shock.

“He did it” the Lady of the Lake whispered in awe, “The Sidhe- I feel free- the Sidhe are dead” she laughs in relief at the same time Arthur shakes Leon off him, hastily getting up at the same time Merlin turns to them.

“Arthur?” he called with uncertainty.

“ _Mer_ lin” the King answered with a teary voice as he grinned, starting to run towards the warlock who began to smile widely, taking a step to meet his husband-

And dropped to the ground with a cry of pain.

“MERLIN-!” they all yelled in panic.

Arthur got to him first, taking the now unconscious warlock onto his arms, shaking him slightly, Leon and Freya following soon.

“No-NO” Arthur cried, burring his head on the raven’s shoulder, “Merlin! MERLIN-!”

The Knight was horrified to see a trickles of blood coming out of Merlin’s nose and mouth, his face paling back onto the sickly grey he’d been sporting before this whole mess started-

“He was dying…” Leon whispered with growing horror, “He’d lost the will to live”

“His body and magic are weak” Freya added, looking fearful.

“No- Merlin- you can’t do this to me now” Arthur said between sobs, “You can’t-” he turned to look at Freya, “There has to be a way to stop this”

The Lady of the Lake pursed her lips for a moment, brows furrowed in thought.

Leon held his breath.

“Magic itself… born of magic” she whispered, before her eyes lit up and she jumped into the lake, returning shortly with-

Leon blinked in confusion.

Excalibur?

“Arthur, give me your hand” Freya commanded, “And hold out Merlin’s”

The King did as so, and the former Knight gaped as the Lady of the Lake made a clean cut on the palm of the blond’s hand with the enchanted blade, repeating the same process with the dying warlock.

“What- what are you doing?” Leon asked as the wind began to pick up.

But Freya didn’t answer him, focusing on the blood droplets on the sword as her eyes began to shine with the dark yellow all sorcerers had once upon a time possessed.

“Once and Future King, unite thy blood with Emrys’s” she said, Arthur following her instructions by intertwining his hand with Merlin’s before he turned to look at her determined.

The Lady of the Lake began chanting in the words of the Old Religion. To this day Leon still doesn’t understand much of the language, but he catches pleas to the Triple Goddess and snips of words like ‘bonding’ and ‘lovers’ and ‘fate’-

And then Arthur and Merlin begin to glow.

It starts in their joined hands, where the dribbled blood of the Prince Consort begins to take a golden color, the same as his eyes while the King’s blood takes a silver tone; and it extends over to their veins, making them look like tendrils of melted metal have been stuck under their skin-

“What’s happening?” Leon asked Freya, who had briefly stopped the incantation as she raised Excalibur.

“Soul bonding” the Lady of the Lake gritted out with effort.

Leon’s eyes widened in realization.

Oh.

_Oh._

OH-!

“That- that would make Arthur-” he stammered.

“Immortal” the King answered in an echoed voice at the same time Freya commanded, “Open your mouth and accept thy blood”

Leon watched in awe how Arthur allowed some of the blood in Excalibur to drop on his mouth, the same process repeated with Merlin and the Lady of the Lake resumed chanting with more vigor-

And the golden and silver tendrils began to intertwine, dancing as they tangled themselves in the King and the warlock’s bodies until they were both glowing with the two beautiful colors; Arthur’s eyes bathed completely in silver and Merlin’s brimming full of gold.

They looked like the sun and the moon, Leon thought as Freya’s incantation grew louder and louder until she suddenly stopped with a yell and-

The Lady of the Lake sunk Excalibur into stone.

The world exploded in light.

Leon was thrown off to the ground, and he snapped his eyes close against the brightness of the luminance of magic that had been radiating from his friends, as a faint song reached his ears-

And it came to a stop as suddenly as it came.

Blinking his eyes open, Leon warily got up into a seating position, finding an exhausted Freya lying next to him by the shore, the water lapping at the ends of her dress. They both shared a look before turning to where Merlin and Arthur had been recumbent-

And gaped.

They were still in their previous position, the King holding the warlock close to him, but they both shone with a faint glimmer of red and blue respectively, the gold and silver tendrils just whispers of light that were quickly gone with the blink of an eye-

And then Arthur gasped as he had woken from a dream- and Merlin followed through.

“Maiden, Mother and Crone” Leon whispered, daring to hope as he witnessed the sickly grey tone in the raven’s skin begin to fade away at the same time the blond cried out in relief and pulled his husband closer to him, cupping his face with a delicate touch that made the former Knight crave once more for a partner to share the same intimacy-

 _“Fy warlock”_ Arthur whispered with reverence, eyes bright.

 _“Fy brenin”_ Merlin replied, tears beginning to fall as he grinned in realization to what happened.

And at last, the two lovers embraced each other, their lips locked on a dance celebrating the end of a cruel separation.

It’s the King who breaks it, and he takes Merlin’s face in a reverent hold before beginning to kiss his husband’s brow, nose, cheeks, lips-

“You clotpole- you stupid, idiotic dollophead-” Arthur mumbles between pressed kisses to the raven’s, who chuckles weakly.

“That’s my word” Merlin breathed with a small grin, silent tears falling of still too pale cheeks.

Arthur laughs as he presses their foreheads together, caressing his husband’s face while Merlin holds him by the neck, thumbs drawing circles on his face.

Leon shares another look with Freya, both of them smiling at the reunited lovers.

“Thank the gods you’re back” Arthur whispers.

“That should be my line” Merlin chides softly. And the King sobs, gripping his husband tighter.

“Then why did you try to leave _me_?” he asks in a broken voice that makes Leon’s heart wrench.

“I wanted to be with you” the raven answers with a small cry, “I- _it_ _hurt_ \- and you weren’t showing up as the world went to shit- and I-” he sniffled, “I’m sorry- I’m sorry for being weak-”

“Don’t call yourself that” Freya, Leon and Arthur exclaim at the same time with lingering anger. They blink, slightly bewildered, before turning back to the raven, who curled himself on his husband’s arms on a flinch.

“Merlin, listen to me” Arthur says as he cradles his love’s face, “They told you I would come back when Albion’s need is greatest, right?”

Merlin nodded, looking uncertain as he and Leon shared a look.

“Merlin, you and Sir Leon are all that’s left of Albion” Freya revealed in a small voice.

“I was meant to come back to you both ages ago” Arthur added. His voice was soft, but Leon could detect the simmering anger in it, and the former Knight thought that perhaps the Sidhe should have died more painfully.

“Well, you’re back now” Leon said, walking over to them. His old friend broke into a wide grin and quickly pulled him into a hug. The former Knight laughed in delight as Merlin also embraced him with fierceness, “Don’t you dare die on us again”

“Which one of us?”

“Both of you” Leon answered while Merlin hits his husband and mutters a shaky, “Prat!”

“I’m not going anywhere” Arthur said, turning to look at both them, gripping Leon’s shoulder with one hand while the other clutched his husband’s hand, “I’m staying, till the end of time”

The older immortals laugh in relief, while Freya giggled. They turned to look at her.

“Thank you, Freya” Arthur whispered at the same time Merlin expressed his gratitude, “Thank you so much”

The Lady of the Lake smiled gently at them.

“It was no problem” she said with mirth before jerking her head to Excalibur, “What are going to do about that?”

The three men turned to look at the now embedded sword in the stone.

“Well, this brings memories” Arthur muttered as Merlin snorted.

“Won’t something bad happen if it’s take out?” Leon asked with worry, anxious to losing Arthur and Merlin again, “You did used it to soul bond them”

But Freya waved her hand in dismissal.

“Nothing will happen, a soul bond as powerful as this-” she pointed to the King and the warlock, “Cannot be broken. I had to strike Excalibur on the stone for it to work as a pillar of support, so to speak. So it can stay there or I can take it back, and nothing bad will happen”

“If it stays there people will lose their minds” Merlin said with a mirth Leon thought lost on his tone, “A real sword stuck to a stone; I can already imagine the tourists”

“… The what?” Arthur asked in confusion.

“Tell you later” the raven replied before turning to Freya with a small frown, “Can it be taken out by anyone?”

Freya smirked.

“Unless you and Arthur produced doubles, then no” she revealed with amusement, “It’s stuck with potent magic and your blood. People can try-”

“-But they won’t succeeded” Leon and Merlin finished, chuckling.

“Then it stays” Arthur declared.

Nodding, the Lady of the Lake smiled at them in goodbye before sinking back onto the waters of Avalon.

“Will she be alright?” Leon asked with curiosity, “Now that she’s the sole guardian of Avalon?”

“She’s not the only one” Arthur whispered, “She’s the gatekeeper, receiver of the souls. Now that the Sidhe are dead I can bet that Morgana is scrambling to take over the throne”

Leon felt himself and Merlin shake with shock.

“I was there for fifteen centuries” the King shrugged, laughing lightly at the gaping looks, “We got tired of yelling at each other quickly and made peace- Morgana-” he looked away for a moment, “She says she’s sorry” he turned to look back at them, the fiery look on he would get on his eyes when in a mission making the Knight and the warlock’s breath hitch.

“And- everyone else says hello” Arthur added, smiling with bright eyes, “Lancelot, Gwaine, Elyan, Percival, Guinevere, Morgana-” he turned to Leon, “Your parents-” he turned to Merlin, “Your parents, Gaius _and_ my mother and Uncle Tristan. Oh! And Will. And your apprentices”

“Not Uther?” Merlin asked in a weak joking tone, an old attempt of his and Leon’s to ignore the tears.

Leon will admit that he’s curious about the old tyrant too.

Arthur, however, snorted.

“Father has been too busy getting his testicles to be kicked by multiple people to send regards” he paused for a moment, lips quirking in amusement, “And Agravaine”

Leon couldn’t help it.

He busted out laughing, aware that he was almost hysterical.

Maybe the events of the night (hell, maybe the last fifteen centuries) had finally caught up to him.

“Oh gods” Merlin muttered with something akin to horror, “Leon’s finally lost it”

“Sorry- sorry” the former Knight said as he took in the started look in Arthur’s face, aware that the King never really saw him losing his shit like this, “I just- the mental picture-” he doubled in laughter again.

“Alright there, Sir Leon?” Arthur wryly asked once he’d calmed down while his husband simply shook his head in amusement.

“Quite, my lord” Leon replied, the title slipping with ease as he added a warm, “Welcome back”

Arthur chuckled, but nodded his gratitude, before he turned to his husband.

“Let’s go home” Merlin whispered with a small smile. Arthur smiled more warmly at him.

“Let’s”

They got up, the spouses helping one another as they found their steps to be slightly shaky, but thankfully they do not fall, and Merlin soon guides Arthur to the direction of the small manor.

As he’s about to follow, Leon feels eyes on him.

He turns around, believing that perhaps Freya has something else to say-

And gasps.

On the shore of the isle, covered mostly by mist, are four men cad in chainmail with red capes accompanied by two women dressed in fine dresses, waiving excitedly.

Leon lets out a watery laugh when he recognizes them, and gives a wave back.

He can’t hear their voices, but without doubt he knows that they’re saying hello-

And goodbye.

He catches Gwen’s eye.

His former wife grins at him, and mouths a quiet _‘Thank you’_ which Leon is quick to return.

“Leon?”

Hearing the distant voices of his sovereigns, Leon nods at their friends from Camelot as they begin to vanish in the mist; before turning around to follow Merlin and Arthur into the house with a content smile.

* * *

Arthur adapts well to the modern century.

Leon and Merlin help his process by giving the former King history lessons. It’s fun for half the time, mostly because the intense concentration in Arthur’s face often clashes with bewilderment when they reach a topic that, looking back on it, was quite ridiculous.

The former Prince Consort mostly covers the United Kingdom…

“He had six wives and killed two of them?!”

“And divorced other two, made his children’s life a living hell, especially the women- but Elizabeth pretty much gave him a metaphorical kick to the balls when she became Queen” Merlin said, nodding along while his husband gaped, “I personally got beheaded by him”

“…What”

“He thought I was sleeping with Kathy- uh, the fifth one, second beheaded- but I wasn’t. I only kept her company. She was a child and felt lonely”

“… And he beheaded you”

Leon had to bite the inside of his cheek to avoid snorting at the look of pure outrage Arthur had on his face.

“ _Cariad_ ” the blond called in a sweet tone, “When was the last time you practiced necromancy?”

Merlin leveled his husband with a look, yet there was a small quirk to his lips.

“…. Henry has been dead for four hundred years, Arthur”

“I don’t care”

Leon cackled.

… And the Knight the rest of the world.

“She usurped her husband and got him killed?”

“To be honest no one is quite sure about that one” Leon admitted idly, “But having met Catherine I’m pretty sure she did. She never confirmed nor deny it”

“… You know, if Morgana hadn’t been on Avalon with me, I would have believe she’d been reborn as Catherine the Great”

“… Holy shit you’re right”

Merlin also performs a translating spell on Arthur, for they’ve all been communicating in Old Brittonic without even realizing it, and it wasn’t until Leon left to buy groceries at Tesco and a confused employee nervously informed him that he didn’t understand a word he’d just said that he realized he’d been talking in the ancient tongue.

Technology is received with excitement, Arthur understanding the basics thanks to the lessons about Da Vinci and the Industrial Revolution. When he gets his own phone he spams Leon with pictures of Merlin.

The former Knight is too amused to be annoyed, settling to being happy for his friend’s obvious state of joy.

They also visit the ruins of Camelot. None of them say anything as they stare at the former white stone that’s now covered in moss and vines, too caught up in memories of old.

They hold each other as they weep for lost times, lost friends, and lost loves.

By the time Arthur’s birthday comes around, it’s been five months since the Once and Future King returned to them, and they celebrate with a picnic next to the shore of Lake Avalon; different cake flavors (Arthur is yet to decide which one is his favorite), herb crusted tarts (the blond nearly cried when Merlin revealed he still knew the recipe) and bottle of champagne lying around them.

“Should we make a toast?” Leon asked, eyeing his near empty glass.

“I don’t see why not” the former King replied, raising his flute while the warlock chuckles as he fills the glasses with magic.

“To us” Leon says, smiling as he watches the raven, content and grateful that the little falcon is once again happy.

“To happiness” Arthur adds, grinning as he takes Merlin’s hand onto his own, their wedding rings glinting in the sunlight, raising the palm to press a kiss to the back of it.

“To the future” Merlin affirms, beaming.

**Author's Note:**

>  _Fy warlock_ = Welsh for 'My warlock'
> 
>  _Fy brenin_ =Welsh for 'My king'
> 
>  _Cariad_ = Welsh for 'Love'
> 
> I’ll admit that I am not a historian nor European, but I did my best to make some historical events true to their near date- Arthurian legend is pretty sketchy all by itself, but apparently the 5th century is a favorite time to place it in, so please take a moment to imagine me, desperately using a calculator to bring out the approximated age Leon and Merlin have in the time periods.
> 
> This fic can be interpreted as a prequel to [this fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25881820) too!


End file.
